The train is the best way to travel in Japan. I am focusing on public transportation in major train and subway systems in this blog post, as they are the most popular methods of getting around in Japan. The entire country is covered with an extensive and reliable railway network, the trains are punctual, and the service is superb. Anyone who experienced the Japanese trains has a story to tell. There are hundreds of stories about the punctuality, the speed or the cleanness of the Japanese trains. Nevertheless, what makes the Japanese trains so different? The subject of Japanese trains is vast and fascinating not only for the railway enthusiasts, and for good reason, is a subject of national pride for the Japanese people.

The best way to explore this unique land? A trip by train from Osaka to Kyoto provides the perfect blend of awe-inspiring Asian megalopolis, tranquil hot springs retreat, and real-life Memoirs of A Geisha moments.

The train offered me something else – a chance to take in so much of Japan is so little time and to experience Japan in a very Japanese way.

There is a feeling once in Japan that you only need to get to a train station, and the rest of the country becomes accessible to you. It may take a while, be expensive and require connections, but finding your way is easy and you know every stop will be well-organized. These trains are why I felt so free in Japan, almost no area is off-limits to people without cars thanks to these rail lines. At least, no area with any significant population. And the stations themselves are located right next to where you want to go most of the time: you get off the train into a pedestrian's paradise, even in small towns, rather than in the middle of nowhere.

The Japanese trains have been coordinated so successfully that Japanese people living in urban areas depend on them in order to reach most of their destinations.

Trains in Japan are incredibly punctual. Being on time is counted down to the centiseconds

It’s certainly the best to take trains in Japan and I assure you once you do that, train rides will not just remain rides but transform into joy rides for you.

Have you ever been on a train in Japan? Tell me about your experiences in the comments.

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AuthorJennifer Teo (蓝天游)

A freelance Singapore-based travel photographer / photojournalist. I seek the extraordinary, but finds beauty in the everyday. Life is interesting, capture it.

Life is endless display of places, people and things that one encounters along the way.